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Thursday, September 6, 2007
Mei Lan snoozes at 1st birthday bash
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Under a white tented pavilion today, dignitaries such as Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle clustered at Zoo Atlanta to commemorate panda cub Mei Lan’s first birthday.
As news cameras panned the scene, a puppeteer hoisted a blue, ceremonially garbed panda puppet aloft as its mechanical arms painted a self-portrait to applause.
Zoo Atlanta president Dennis Kelly puffed up as he referred to the cub’s party as ” a special, special day” and “one of the most significant days in Zoo Atlanta’s 118-year history.”
But inside the panda habitat, the birthday girl snoozed in a cluster of logs inside her shady indoor space. Nearby, two enormous boxes held two birthday sheet cakes. A quick peek underneath revealed white and red icing with the inscription: “Happy Birthday Mei Lan!”
Overhead, a birthday banner fluttered with hundreds of birthday wishes from zoo attendees. One read: “The spirit of Atlanta’s beautiful peach shines like a beacon of light across the ocean and guides our souls to a higher purpose. — Janet, London, England.”
Zoo Atlanta member and toddler Mary Katherine Boller kept her mother, Julie, and friend Heather Leary on their toes as she explored the closed-off area while waiting for Mei Lan to resume accepting visitors after the birthday ceremony.
In her arms, the 18-month-old clutched a tiny stuffed panda.
“It’s her favorite toy in the whole world,” Julie Boller remarked.
“We’re zoo members and we wanted to be here today to help Mei Lan celebrate,” added Leary.
The trio was on their way to a nearby gift shop for a Mei Lan upgrade.
Minutes later, Mary Katherine was sleepily smiling and posing for pictures in her stroller with a $49.99 stuffed panda roughly the same size as the toddler.
Mark Strozier of Fairburn took the day off to embrace his inner panda as he joined the birthday crowd.
“She’s my baby,” said Strozier, 47, watching Mei Lan wrestle with her mama, Lun Lun, inside the zoo’s panda exhibit.
“But I suppose for anybody who lives in Atlanta, she’s their baby too.”
A baby no longer. The cub, born Sept. 6, 2006, has grown from a shaky little mound of fuzz into a 57-pound dynamo.
In the process, Mei Lan has developed a following that exceeds Atlanta’s boundaries.
Barbara Kelley, who has a panda mailbox outside her home in Concord, N.C., traveled to Atlanta for Thursday’s event.
“I just love pandas,” said Kelley, 69.
“She’s got, I’ll bet, two thousand or three thousand (panda figurines) in her home,” daughter Amy Montgomery volunteered.
— Staff writer Mark Davis contributed to this report
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Fans embrace their inner panda
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Strozier of Fairburn wore his heart on his sleeve this morning — as well as his t-shirt and hat.
Mei Lan mania does that to a guy, said Strozier.
Today, the Zoo Atlanta panda cub’s first birthday, Strozier took the day off and embraced his inner panda as he joined a crowd at the zoo for the festivities.
“She’s my baby,” said Strozier, 47, watching Mei Lan wrestle with her mama, Lun Lun, inside the zoo’s panda exhibit.
“But I suppose for anybody who lives in Atlanta, she’s their baby too.”
A baby no longer. The cub, born Sept. 6, 2006, has grown from a shaky little mound of fuzz into a 57-pound dynamo.
In the process, Mei Lan has developed a following that exceeds Atlanta’s boundaries. Ask Barbara Kelley. She has a panda mailbox outside her home in Concord, N.C.
“I just love pandas,” said Kelley, 69, visiting the zoo for Mei Lan’s birthday.
“She’s got, I’ll bet, two thousand or three thousand (panda figurines) in her home,” daughter Amy Montgomery volunteered.
That many? How does Kelley vacuum her house? Kelley smiled.
“I don’t dust very often,” she admitted.
And as she watched, more people entered the panda’s den. Children squealed. Mamas told them to hush. And everyone waited to wish Mei Lan a happy birthday.
The wait ends at 11 a.m., when the cub’s party begins.
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